Biological and psychological processes in recovery from depression during cognitive therapy

This study investigated the relationship between biological and psychological processes in the recovery phase of depression during treatment with cognitive therapy. In particular, we tested the hypothesis that biological and psychological processes are independent; the hypothesis that they are related in a linear or sequential process; and the hypothesis that there is a circular relationship between them. 35 depressed patients completed a 12 week program of cognitive therapy. Changes in measures of negative thinking and amine dysfunction over the course of therapy were compared for those who improved and those who did not. There was a significant relationship between improvement in symptoms and change for ATQ scores, DAS scores, and epinephrine levels. There was significant change in metanephrine levels during therapy which was not related to improvement. The changes were not consistent across indices. Although the results did not provide definite support for any of the four models of the relationship between biological and psychological variables during recovery from depression, the finding that there was some change in some of the indices of amine dysfunction during cognitive therapy indicates that the interface between biological and psychological processes in depression should continue to be studied.